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AUTOMATIG BRAKE. No. 334,384. Patented Jan. 12,1886.

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J. T. HONEYCUTT.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE. v No. 334,384. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

JOHN T. HONEYOUTT, OF VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,384, datedJ'anuary 12, 1886.

Application filed September 2, 1885. Serial No. 176,023. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN '1. ]1ONEY0UT'I,3, citizen of the United States, residing at Vancouver, Washington Territory, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic tlgrakes, of which the following is a specificaion. 7

This invention relates to automatic brakes for carriages and wagons.

The objects of the invention are to produce a novel device, connected to and operated by the pole of a carriage or wagon, whereby the backward pressure exerted on the pole to check the momentum of the vehicle may be communicated to the brakes, and in this way aid in stopping.

Further, the object is to produce a device whereby the brakes will be applied to check the wheels, when it is desired to check the progress of the wagon,by pressing back on the pole, and by which the brakes will be removed from the wheels when they are revolved in a direction to move the vehicle rearward; and, finally, the object is to produce novel devices for restoring the pole to its normal position after being moved back to operate the brake, and for accomplishing the removal of the brakes when it is desired to back the wagon, and holding them in place when it is desired only to stop the same.

The invention consists, substantially,in the novel features of arrangement, the particular form of construction, and su'chcombinations of parts as will hereinafter be distinctly described and pointed out in the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may know how to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa plan view of the brake, shown as applied to a wagon, the brake-shoes being shown as pressed against the wheels; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation'of the same, showing one wheel removed,in order to expose the arrangement of parts, whereby the pole is retained in arear position and relieved therefrom when the horses are started, and the position assumed by the brakes when the wagon is being backed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the form of shoes used with the modified form of brake-bar, and Fig. 4 is a front view of the plied,by slightly modifying the details of 0011- I struction, to the rear wheels.

lhe letter A represents the front axle of a vehicle, to which is attached the frame-work B, constituting the hounds. This frame consists of the three bars a b 0, attached to the axle and extending forward from and at right angles thereto, and having their forward ends connected by a cross-piece,d. The central bar, I), is provided with a slot extending from its front end rearward a sufficient distance to receive the end of the pole and allow it a sufficient play back and forth to operate the brake; and I have found that a play of from four to six inches will be sufficient to operate the brakes, and at the same time will not cause any inconvenience.

D represents the brake-bar, provided on its ends with brake-shoes E. in position,and is free to slide back and forth in guides F, attached to pieces a and c of the frame.

The preferred means of imparting the re ciprocating motion of the pole to the brakebars is by means of the levers G, pivoted at their outer ends in the side pieces, a and c, and provided at their inner ends with slots, which receive a headed pin carried by the pole H.

I I are rigid connecting-rods of any desired form, attached, respectively, at one end to the This bar is retained levers and at the other end to the brake-bar.

against the wheels and for releasing the same when the horses are started, will now be described. Upon the under side of the pole, at its rear end, I place a plate h, having a series of teeth or serrations, and upon the under side of the hounds I mount a pawl, J, adapted to engage with the said serrations, and a spring, K, is provided, the tendency of which is to exert a strain to keep the pawl in contact with the teeth, and in this way retain the pole.

L represents a chain or cord attached to the pawl at one end, the other to the traces of the horses attached to the vehicle. When the pole is in its forward position, this cord or chain is taut, holding the pawl away from the rack, and it remains in this condition until the horses back, when it is released, and is thrown back into contact with the ratchet, and retains the pole by this means until the horses are started, when the chain or cord is drawn taut and the pole released from the pawl and allowed to be drawn out to its normal posi tion. This movement of the pole to its normal position may be accomplished simply by the starting of the horses, and in that way pulling it into place, if desired; but I prefer to employ the leaf-spring M, which is connected to the axle or any other suitable part of the running-gear, and has its free end hearing against the inner end of the pole, upon which it exerts a forward pressure. Thus it will be seen that the pole will be pushed forward to its operative position as soon-as the pawl is released from the plate.

The main difficulty to be overcome in the device is to prevent the blocking of the wheel when the horses are pulled back in order to back the wagon; and to accomplish this I employ the arrangement now to be described. The brake-shoes are so mounted that they are capable of revolving to bring the bearing-face N against the wheel, or to bring the part 0 up opposite the bearingsurface. When the shoe is in this latter position, the wheel is free from frictional pressure of the shoe, for the reason that the surface of the lower part, 0, is much nearer the axis of the shoe than the part N. The shoes are capable of being rotated a short distance either together on the shaft or separated, according to the way they are placed in position, in a direction to bring the lower part, 0, opposite the tire of the wheels, and they are given that motion when forced back by the horses in backing the wagon, if this force be continued long enough to cause a rearward motion of the vehicle and a corresponding motion of the wheels, this motion being transferred to the brake-shoes, which are in frictional contact with the wheels.

As a convenient means of restoring the brake-shoes to their normal positions after being thrown out by a backward movement of the wheels, I provide the shaft upon which the said shoes are fixed with a projection, P, which comes in contact, when a forward movement of the tongue is given, with any suitable projection for turning the shoes down to bring the portion N contiguous to the periphery of the wheels.

In the present device the shaft is turned to bring the shoes into their normal position by the projection 1? coming into contact with a shoulder, R, formed by cutting away a portion of the material of which the guides on one side are formed. From this it will be seen that as the pole is pulled forward to the proper position to enable the vehicle to be pulled along the projection comes in contact with the shoulder R, which is situated a short distance above the shaft upon which the shoes are carried, and by this means is forced down into place.

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings I have represented a modified form of brake bar and shoe. In this form the rod. upon which the shoes are mounted is secured rigidly against revolving, and the brake-shoes are so mounted as to move away from the tire when the wheel is turned in a backward direction independent of the rod which carries them. The construction of parts by which this object is attained will now be described.

1 represents the rod, which is mounted in suitable guides, similar to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which it is allowed a reciprocating movement, and is provided with a projection, 2, for the attachment of an operating-rod. At each end the rod is provided with depending arms 2, having bifurcated ends 3, connected by a cross-bar, 4, upon which are mounted the links 5, which are rigidly attached at their opposite ends to the brake-b1ock 6.

7 represents a loop attached to the upper end of the brake-shoe and encircling the depending portion 2. The length of this loop is such as to allow the shoe to be carried down by frictional contact with the wheel, when the latter is turning in a forward direction, a sufficient distance to present its broadest expanse of bearing-surface to the said wheel, and at the same time is not long enough to allow the shoe to be carried down far enough to wedge.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an automatic brake, the combination of the reciprocating pole, the sliding bar carrying the brake-shoes and provided with a projection, and the guides in which it is held, one of which is formed with a shoulder, the pivoted lever whose inner ends are slotted to receive a pin on the pole, the rods connecting such levers to the brake-bar, a ratchet on the lower face of the pole engaged by a pawl, a chain or cord, and a leaf-spring mounted at the rear of the pole and bearing against the same, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. HONEYOUTT. [L. 8.]

Vitnesses:

J NO. V. WHITE, J OHN BURTON. 

